Fishing bait



NOV. 21, 1939. w GRUENHAGEN 2,180,822

FISHING BAIT ,Filed April 11, 1936 In fien for Mum/v M Rl/EN/Mff/Y Patented Nov. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FISHING BAIT William H. Gruenhagen, St. Paul, Minn. Application April 11, 1936, Serial No. 713,961

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a fishing bait and particularly to a bait comprising a revoluble spoon.

Spoon baits of various kinds have been pre- 6 viously used and it is desirable in such a bait to have a structure which will give the desired motions in the water.

It is an object of this invention to provide a revoluble spoon having a convex or conical por- 19; tion at it upper end adapted to receive a shank and having an arm struck from or cut from its convex side and bent downwardly and inwardly of said portion, said arm being apertured to receive said shank.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a bait having a revoluble spoon with a conical portion at its upper end, a blade extending downwardly and outwardly from the lower end of said conical portion at one side thereof, said blade go having a plurality of depressed elongated recesses in its outer side adapted to receive a different color than the rest of said blade, so as to simulate the wings of a bug.

It is a further object of the invention to pro- 25 vide a fishing bait comprising a shank, the lower end of said shank being reversely bent to form a hook-receiving loop, the free end of said shank being adapted to spring away from the body of said shank, means movable over said free end for holding said loop closed, said shank having means thereon for holding said means in position.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a fishing bait comprising a shank, a revoluble spoon mounted thereon, a plug below 35 said spoon, said plug and spoon simulating a bug and a multiple hook swingingly mounted at the lower end of said shank below said plug having a hook of small size and a flexible tab carried on said last mentioned hook.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the. following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the bait;

Fig. 2 is a view for the most part in vertical section taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1;

50 Fig. 3 is a partial view showing a part in a different position; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a modified form of hook.

Referring to the drawing, a fishing bait is 5Q shown comprising a shank I0. This shank is made of stiff wire which is resilient and flexible and the same is reversely bent at its upper end to form a loop lOa, the free end of said shank being shown as coiled around the stem of said shank. A swivel II has its lower end or loop pivotally connected in the loop [to and the upper end of said swivel will be attached in the usual manner to a line or leader.

Shank ill at its lower end is reversely bent to form a loop Illb shown as of general circular form. The free end lllc of shank Ill normally tends to spring away from the stem of said shank as shown in Fig. 3 to open the loop lflb so that a hook may be placed therein or removed therefrom. A cylindrical member l2, illustrated as in the form of a coil of wire, surrounds the stem of shank Ill and is slidable there- The member I2 is adapted to receive the free end I and to hold the same closely against the stem of shank l0 and parallel thereto as shown in Fig. 2 to maintain the loop lllb in closed position. One part of the shank I0 is provided with an angular bend or kink Hid, which, when member I2 is passed thereover as shown in Fig.

2, exerts considerable friction on member [2 and insures that it will not move on shank l0 so as to open loop lllb.

A multiple hook l3 has an eyelet l3a engaged in loop lllb and hook I3 is shown as having three barbed hooks l3b projecting outwardly in equally spaced relation. A much smaller barbed hook I30 projects between two of the hooks l3b and some distance close to the shanks of saidhooks.

above the same so that it is rather A flexible tab H of elongated form has its upper rounded end engaged over- Tab 14 is shown as having a divided hook l3.

hook I30 and depends from the lower end. This tab will be made of comparatively thin white felt, leather or rubber.

The

shanks of hooks I31) and I30 are illustrated as wrapped together by thin wire l3d which preferably will be soldered after being wound about said shanks.

Stiff wires l3e extend from eyelet cent its upper end and is provided with a central bore or opening through which shank l0 passes. Said bore is enlarged to form a recess Ia at its lower portion of member l2.

adapted to receive the upper end An apertured bead iii of metal or glass surrounds shank Ill above plug l5. A spoon I! is provided having an upper conical end Ila centrally apertured at its top to receive shank l9. A blade l'lb extends downwardly and outwardly from the lower end of conical portion Ila and at one side thereof, said blade having a general elliptical form and having a plurality of depressed elongated recesses He. at its outer side. An arm l'ld is cut or struck from one side of portion life, said arm being bent downwardly and inwardly and being apertured adjacent its end for the passage of shank (0. Arm lid is spaced from the top of conical portion Ila and the aperture therein and the spoon I 1 is thus held in position on shank H]. The lower edge of portion Ha is shown as scalloped and blade llb is shown as offset inwardly at its upper end from the edge of portion Via. A bead l8 centrally apertured to receive shank III is disposed above spoon H.

In Fig. 4, a modified form of multiple hook 2! is shown. This hook comprises a pair of barbed hooks 26a having unusually long shanks 2'32) disposed in contact and in parallel relation and soldered together. An apertured point 200 is disposed at the free ends of said shanks. A much smaller hook 30d also has its shank extending along and soldered to the shanks 2 3b, lhe curved and barbed end of hook 28d is adjacent the shanks 29b and between the hooks 29a.

In operation, the bait will be connected to the fishing line in the usual way and will be drawn through the water. The water engages the spoon ii and causes rotation thereof. Owing to the fact that arm lid is bent downwardly and inwardly an opening is left in the side of conical portion ila so that water can pass through this opening. This considerably lessens the resistance of the spoon to the water and makes possible a quicker rotation of spoon l! for a given linear speed through the water. At the same time a simple and effective support is formed by arm l'id. In practice the grooves or recesses llc will be colored in a different color from the remainder of the spoon. These grooves are usually colored red or black while the remainder of the outer side of the spoon is polished nickel, yellow or white. The plug I5 is usually colored red or its lower part is white and its upper part red. The plug iii simulates the body of a bug or insect. The plug i i has the spoon IT in transverse alinement therewith and as this spoon revolves it simulates the Wings of a bug or insect. This is particularly true since the grooves We are provided having the general shape of the wings of a bug. When the spoon is revolving in the water the effect of a flying or fluttering bug is produced.

When a different hook is to be used spoon i1 and plug i5 are moved upwardly and member i2 is moved upwardly on shank Iil out of engagement with end its. Said end then springs outward as shown in Fig. 3 and the hook can be removed another put in place. Afterwards this member i2 is again moved downwardly over portion Etc and held in place by friction of the bend or kink Hid. The tab i l is very alluring to the fish as the bait is drawn through the water and the fish striking is caught on the hooks l3b.

When hook 20 is used bait is used therewith, such as a minnow. The hook can be inserted lengthwise of the minnow and the hook 22% inserted in the side of the minnow to hold the same from slipping downward or backward on hook 2G. The pointed end 2510 facilitates the placing of the hook through the minnow. Obviously a frog could be similarly held.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has produced a simple and very efficient bait. The same has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and is being commercially made. It is easily assembled and the hook can be changed as desired.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A fishing bait comprising a spoon having a conical portion at its upper end and a blade depending downwardly and outwardly from one side thereof, said portion having a central opening at its upper end. a shank disposed in said opening, said conical portion having an arm cut therefrom and bent downwardly and inwardly, said arm being apertured to receive said shank. and being spaced from said first mentioned opening and means on said shank for supporting said arm and spoon.

2. A fishing bait comprising a shank, a spoon revolubly mounted on said shank comprising a conical upper portion and a spoon-shaped blade extending downwardly and outwardly from the bottom of said portion at one side thereof, said blade being offset from said conical portion and having a plurality of depressed recesses in its outer surface of a difierent color adapted to simulate the wings of a bug.

3. A fishing bait comprising a shank, a spoon revolubly mounted on said shank comprising a conical upper portion and a spoon-shaped blade extending downwardly and outwardly from the bottom of said portion at one side thereof and a plug having a rounded head and a reduced portion below said head centrally mounted on said shank and having an elongated portion in trans-- verse alinement with said spoon, said plug and spoon being adapted to simulate the body and wings of a bug respectively.

4. A fishing bait comprising a shank, a spoon revolubly mounted on said shank comprising a conical upper portion and a spoon-shaped blade extending downwardly and outwardly the bottom of said portion at one side thereof, said blade having spaced elongated and tapering portions in its outer surface at a different elevation than the rest of said surface and adapted to be colored differently from the rest of said surface to simulate the wings of a bug.

5. A fishing bait comprising a shank, a spoon revolubly mounted on said shank comprising a conical upper portion and a spoon-shaped blade extending downwardly and outwardly from the bottom of said portion one side thereof, a plug centrally mounted on said shank below said conical portion and in transverse alinement with said blade, said plug having a semi-spherical upper portion, a narrow portion below said portion and an elongated tapered portion below said narrow portion.

6. The structure set forth in claim 5, said shank having a loop at its lower end and a holding means for said loop, said plug having a recess in its lower end into which said holding means is movable.

WILLIAM H. GRUENHAGEN. 

